Well Engineering, Well Design and Drilling Fluids
Well Engineering, Well Design and Drilling Fluids
Well Engineering, Well Design and Drilling Fluids
Engineering a Well
Fully integrated team approach All disciplines represented from beginning All have an important part to play Iterative Process
Well Planning
Optimum Design a Fit-for-Purpose Well:
a well which contributes , over its life-cycle, maximum monetary value, without compromising safety and environmental standards
Well Design
Formation & Fracture Gradients
Formation Pressure is the pressure exerted by the formation fluids within the pore spaces of the rocks. Formation pressures can be normal, over normal or sub normal.
Normal pressure occurs when there is full pressure communication between the pores of the rock throughout the geological column. Over pressure occurs when impermeable boundaries prevent fluid communication and trapped fluids support a larger proportion of the overburden. Sub-normal pressure occurs when a full column of interconnected pore fluid does not reach the surface.
Well Design
Fracture Gradient
Rock strength: tensile, compressive, shear, or impact. Tensile strength important for fracture gradient. Rocks are more liable to fail in tension than compression. Fracture pressure is that pressure required to overcome rock strength and fracture the formation. Determination of Fracture Gradient Direct: Leak-off test. Indirect: Mathematical modelling.
Well Design
Hydrostatic Pressure
The pressure created by a column of fluid due to its density and vertical height. Hydrostatic pressure (Phyd) = .g.h in consistent units.
In API Units
(Phyd) = mud weight (ppg) x true vertical depth (TVD ft) x .052 e.g. Static bottom hole hydrostatic pressure at 13,000ft md (8,000ft tvd) with 12.5 ppg mud = 12.5 x 8000 x 0.052 = 5,200 psi
Circulating Pressure
When fluid is circulated in a well, additional pressure must be applied to overcome fluid friction.
Well Design
Circulating Pressure
A pressure must be applied to circulate the fluid in the well. This additional pressure is provided by the mud pumps. Pressure is lost as energy is consumed circulating fluid around the well.
BHCP = Phyd + APL Where: BHCP = bottom hole circulating pressure APL = annular pressure loss APL is the only frictional pressure loss in the circulating system that acts directly on the well bore. APL is the differential pressure over the length of the annulus required to move fluid up the annulus.
APL
BHCP
Downhole Pressures
The pore spaces of subsurface formations are filled with fluids. The most common fluid is water but oil or gas may be present.
In normally pressured formations, the pressure at any given depth is the hydrostatic pressure of the fluids filling the interconnected pore spaces of the subsurface formations above that depth. Pore pressure (also called formation pressure) varies with fluid density, vertical depth and geological history. Abnormally pressured formations have higher or lower pressures than normally pressured formations. To keep primary control of the well, the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling mud must exceed formation pressure.
Circulating System
Surface lines Mud Pump
Drill pipe
Ppump = Sum of well system pressure losses = losses in surface lines, drill pipe, BHA, bit and annulus
Drill collars Drill bit
The only system pressure loss that acts on the bottom of the hole is the annular pressure loss (APL).
October 2008
The solids control system shown is for a land well but the same type of equipment is used offshore.
In highly deviated wells, a drill fluid with good lubricity is essential. Oil and synthetic-base muds lubricate better than most water base muds but they are less efficient at cooling the bit and drill string. Lubricating properties depend on solids content - high solids content reduces lubricity. Additives are sometimes used to improve the lubricity of WBM. The drilling fluid supports the drill string by the action of buoyancy and by damping out drill string vibrations.
Viscosity or resistance to flow Fluid loss control filtrate, filter cake Formation protection
Zone dependant
Temperature Tolerance
Additives & system stability at downhole temperature
OBM
Emulsion of oil and water Inhibition of water sensitive formations- shales Lubricity Temperature stability Formation damage Environmentally unfriendly spillage, drill cuttings disposal etc
Hole Cleaning
1. Cuttings should be removed quickly from the bottom of the hole. If not the cutting action of the bit will be less efficient as old cuttings are reworked while new formation is being drilled. Cuttings should be removed from the hole at the same rate as they are created. Failure to do this will result in cuttings build up, which in turn may cause hole problems. Cuttings removal depends upon the annular velocity of the drill fluid, drill string rotation, rate of cuttings generation (ROP) and cuttings slip velocity.
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Invasion can seriously impair the porosity and permeability of the formation near to the wall of the hole in two ways:
The mud filtrate can interact chemically with the formation causing clays and shales to swell The mud solids can block up the pores of the rock.
Invasion damage (also called skin damage) can seriously reduce the productive capacity of the well. (Less oil produced per psi of drawdown.)
Drill Cuttings
Drilling cuttings are created at the bottom hole by the bit. Hole cavings can be created by hole instability and/or the movement of the drill string against the wall of the hole. Drill cutting density affects how easily they may be removed from the hole. Rock density depends on the mineral or minerals making up the rock and the porosity of the rock. Most sedimentary rock densities range from 2.6 - 2.8 S.G. Mud weighting materials have higher densities, e.g. barite at around 4.2 4.3 S.G. The shape of drill cuttings may give a clue to downhole formation pressures. Acicular shaped shale cuttings are often associated with over pressured shales.
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Mud cleaner. Linear motion shale shaker. Shale shakers remove drill cuttings from the return mud flow. Modern offshore rigs may have up to four shale shakers operating in parallel. When fitted with fine mesh screens (200/250 gauge) they are able to remove particles down to sand size. Two electric motors rotating in opposite directions vibrate the shaker screens on an inclined plane at several hundred c/min. Desander Used to remove course, sand sized particles from the return mud flow.
Counterweights
Two eccentric shafts are rotated in opposite directions in phase. Because counterweights rotate in opposite directions, net force on the shaker is zero except along the line of motion passing through the C of G of the rotating shafts.
Hydrocyclones
Induced vortex throws solids to the outer wall by centrifugal force. These solids spiral down under gravity and exit at the cone apex. Another spiral causes the mud in the centre of the cone to spiral upwards and exit through the vortex finder. A mud cleaner is a combination hydrocyclone and shaker screen.
Drilling fluid from active system is fed to a Low Speed Centrifuge via a positive displacement pump. The barite removed from the mud is returned via gravity from the solids discharge end of Centrifuge No. 1 back to the active system. The mud from Centrifuge No. 1 is gravity fed to a holding tank.
Mud in the holding tank is then fed to a High Speed Centrifuge via a 2nd positive displacement pump. Low gravity solids removed from this mud are discharged overboard. Processed drilling fluid from this centrifuge is then returned back to the active system. Process rate approximately 2 bpm.
Jet Nozzle
The jet mixing hopper is simple to operate and very reliable. However, it injects a large amount of air into the mud system that encourages corrosion and other problems.
Used to prevent suspended mud solids from settling out of the mud. Position in the mud tank is important for good mud agitation. 10 HP motor drives the impeller through reduction gearing. Mud guns may supplement the paddle agitators. Mud guns are supplied from ring main drawing from the active tank.
Vacuum Degasser
A typical vacuum degasser consists of a cylindrical chamber taking gas cut mud from the sand trap, degassing it and then discharging the degassed mud back into downstream active mud tanks. The chamber above the fluid level is kept at a partial vacuum by a compressor. Gas from the compressor outlet is routed to a flare line which offshore is routed to the top of the derrick or mast.